Belaying-grip



(No Model.)

W. E. SARGENT.

BELAYING GRIP.

Patented Feb. 1, 1898.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN E. SARGENT, OF HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- THIRD TO CHARLES S. DAVIS, OF MERRIMAC, MASSACHUSETTS.

BELAYlNG-GRIP.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,441, dated February 1, 1898. Application filed March 22, 1897. Serial No. 628,624. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WARREN E. SARGENT, of Haverhill, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grips, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the production of a novel grip; and it consists in the novel features of construction and relative arrange- IO ment of parts hereinafter fully described in the specification, clearly illustrated in the drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying one sheet of drawings, in which like characters are used to indicate like parts wherever they occur.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a grip constructed according to my invention,

showing the manner of attaching a cord or rope thereto. Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1, showing the grip in another plane. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the grip. Fig. 4 is a perspective view thereof.

2 5 Although my improved grip is adapted for use in a variety of connections where it is desired to quickly and securely fix the end or any portion of a rope or cord, its construction tends to render it particularly useful for at- 0 taching sheets and halyards on sailing vessels. To those accustomed to handling vessels, and especially small craft of this class, it is well known that the management of the main-sheet or the rope by means of which the 3 5 position of the mainsail is controlled is often a matter of difficulty. It is necessary that the sheet should have a secure attachment and at'the same time that it should be possible to cast it off at a moments notice, if neces- 40 sary, in case of squalls or other emergencies. The same may be said of the head-sail sheets and of the various halyards. The grip which is in common use for these purposes permits of a secure attachment of the rope, but does 43 not allow the same to be readily cast off by reason of its construction.

It is the object of my invention to provide a grip for these and other purposes which will afford a secure attachment for a rope and will hold the same in a position to be cast off-bya single movement.

Referring to the drawings, in theembodiment of my invention therein shown and selected by me for the purpose of illustrating my invention, a represents the base-plate of 5 5 my improved grip, which may be provided with screw holes for receiving attachingscrews by means of which the grip is attached to a support, such as the deck or rail of a vessel. The base a is connected by a contracted 6o neck with the upper or body portion a, a V- shaped or U-shaped peripheral groove a being formed between the base and the lower edge of the body portion, which latter may be provided with a projecting flange a for deep- .ening the said groove.

On opposite sides of the body portion a are formed vertical grooves or recesses a, coinmunicating with the groove 0?, and joining the said two recesses is formed a V-shaped 7o recess or cleft a extending about half way down into the'body portion a.

Figs, 1. and 2 show the method of attaching the rope I), which consists in placing the rope in the groove a, passing it around the neck of the grip, carrying it up into one of the vertical recesses a, and forcing it down into the cleft a the whole operation requiring but a moments time. The rope maybe wound into the groove (4 as many times as desired for the So sake of great security, but it is only necessary to take a portion of a turn and then bind the rope in the cleft a in order to enable it to bear all ordinary strains. The cast-off is accomplished by merely lifting the free end of the rope from the cleft. It will therefore be seen that my improved grip will be extremely serviceable on sailing vessels,where an immediate release of sheets and halyards is often desirableand is sometimes necessary to the 0 safety of the vessel.

Heretofore various forms of grips and rope fasteners have been devised, some of which depend for their action upon a binding action of the rope upon itself, as is the case in the ordinary T-shaped cleat, and some of which depend merely upon the binding action on the rope of a wedge-shaped cleft. The latter method does not give sufficient security and the former does not allow of aready cast-off. My improved grip obviates both of these disadvantages, as hereinbefore explained. Its efficiency depends upon the fact that the rope makes a turn on the grip first in one plane and then in another plane before being forced into the cleft a a method whereby great friction between the rope and grip is produced, and it will be understood that a very small portion of the strain which the rope may be hearing is transmitted to that portion which is held in the cleft a Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described a way of constructing and using the same, though without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it maybe made or all of the modes of its use, I declare that what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. As a means for securing a rope or cord, a grip having communicating recesses situated in diiterent planes and forming a @011- tinuous cord-confining channel, and a cleft in addition to said recesses for binding the cord.

2. As a means for securing a rope or cord, a grip comprising'a base and a body portion, a peripheral cord-receivipg recess between said base and body, one or more cord-receiv- WARREN E. SARGENT.

WVitnesses:

REUBEN L. LocKn, NATHANIEL W. SWETT. 

